Portland is the New Pre-Wedding Destination

Elaborate, dayslong parties for brides- and grooms-to-be have become the norm for affluent millennials across the country, and that means groups of a dozen or more revelers descend on cities big and small almost every weekend, spending freely on rooms, food, drinks and entertainment. Portland, with its much-hyped restaurant, bar and brewery scene, is now officially on the pre-wedding party map.

And she's not alone! She grew up in Portland, but lives in Boston now - but thought what a great place to celebrate and do some tipsy shopping. What's tipsy shopping? Only the best thing to ever happen to merchants...

“One Saturday last summer, in July, we had six reservations back to back to back to back, from noon to 5:30. There were five additional groups that walked in,” said Rebekah Messer, events manager for Cellardoor Winery, which has a tasting room in Thompson’s Point. Most groups are around a dozen women. At $50 for the private rental and $8 tasting per person, an hourlong private session runs about $150. That doesn’t include another $8 glass of wine or two, plus maybe a bottle, T-shirt or wine bag to take home. “We call it tipsy shopping,” Messer joked.